国内英语新闻:Chinese Vice Premier cautions against more rain-triggered disasters

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Saturday cautioned against more rain-triggered disasters such as flood and mudslide during the rain season, and demanded for strengthened preventive measures.

Currently most parts of the nation is experiencing the flood season when geological disasters becomes rampant, especially in the mountainous areas in the western region, Hui told a national meeting on geological disaster prevention on Saturday.

He said authorities should keep a clear mind on the grim situations and step up efforts to prevent and fight the disaster with scientific methods.

Massive mudslides hit northwestern China's Zhouqu County in Gansu Province on Aug. 8, with death toll rising to 1,239 as of 4 p.m. Saturday, and 505 are still missing.

On early Saturday, at least 38 people were missing after rain-triggered floods and landslides ravaged Wenchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the epicenter of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake which left about 87,000 people dead or missing more than two years ago.

Hui has called for all-out rescue efforts in Wenchuan County's mudslide. He asked local authorities to promptly evacuate residents, and speedily restore transport and telecommunication facilities in the area.

The Vice Premier asked the local water, meteorological, and land authorities to closely monitor the situation and issue prompt forecasts and warnings on the floods and rain.

Monitoring geological risks should be immediately launched in the towns, villages, and areas along roads and railway tracks, Hui said.

Dangerous zones should be marked and people should be prevented from entering such risky areas.

Hui said more work was needed to be done to ensure residents have food to eat and water to drink. Shelters and medical access should also be priorities for those affected.

Further, the Vice Premier asked local officials to intensify hygiene work in order to prevent epidemics.